Bendy phones, tablets and TVs may seem like science fiction, but miracle material graphene could soon be used to make a new generation of groundbreaking gadgets a reality.

Experts at The University of Manchester say graphene - and other related two-dimensional ‘designer materials’ - could be used to make razor-thin, flexible and even see-through devices.

They reckon the wonder material, discovered in Manchester, could revolutionise the manufacturing of electronic gizmos, thanks to work to engineer light-emitting diodes (LEDs) on an atomic level.

Scientists say a graphene-based flexible LED display prototype has proved robust, and despite many weeks of testing, showed no decline in performance.

At one atom thick, graphene is an immensely strong, versatile substance. It was first isolated and explored in 2004 at The University of Manchester.

Other 2D materials, such as boron nitiride and molybdenum disulphide, have since been discovered leading to vast new areas of research.

Potential uses for graphene are vast and experts say the single-atom-thick sheets of carbon could soon replace just about every material and component used in modern day smartphones, making them more durable and efficient.

By building ‘heterostructures’ – stacked layers of various two-dimensional materials – the movement of electrons can be controlled, opening up the possibilities for graphene-based optoelectronics.

The prototype LED device, just 10 to 40 atoms thick, was constructed by combining different two-dimensional materials and emitted light from across its whole surface.

That technology could form the basis for the first generation of semi-transparent smart devices.

Manchester University campus and the newly built The National Graphene Institute (Image: Mark Waugh)

Freddie Withers, Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellow at the university, said: “As our new type of LEDs only consist of a few atomic layers of 2D materials, they are flexible and transparent.

"We envisage a new generation of optoelectronic devices to stem from this work, from simple transparent lighting and lasers and to more complex applications.”

Despite being ultra-light and thin, graphene is 200 times stronger than steel. It was first discovered by the university’s Nobel Prize winning scientists, professors Sir Andre Geim and Sir Kostya Novoselov.

Sir Kostya Novoselov said: “By preparing the heterostructures on elastic and transparent substrates, we show that they can provide the basis for flexible and semi-transparent electronics.

“The range of functionalities for the demonstrated heterostructures is expected to grow further on increasing the number of available 2D crystals and improving their electronic quality.”

The university’s National Graphene Institute is due to open later this year.